Sheep-Deer Couple in Yunnan Zoo Married on Valentine’s Day

Less than three months after the strange relationship was gleefully reported around China, the Sheep-Deer love affair that has blossomed in a Yunnan zoo has at last been sanctified in a Valentine’s Day wedding ceremony.

The two animals first drew the attention of the internet back in November when pictures of the two cuddling and then copulating circulated throughout China’s social media. The male sheep, “Long Hair,” and female deer, “Pure Child,” were treated to a wedding bath and a banquet of carrots and grass with other park animals and guests. Aside from a brief hiccup when Pure Child got nervous and momentarily left the “groom” at the altar, the two eventually made their way through an “I Do Gate” constructed by staff to affirm their “love.”

Despite the feel-good nature of the story, many netizens continue to dispute the veracity of the relationship as well as the appropriateness of an inter-species mock-marriage in a country that as of yet forbids non-traditional marriages.